Air operated water valve for rock drills



April 21, 1959 J. IHILLMANA 2,882,861

AIR OPERATED WATER VALVE FOR ROCK DRILLS Filed July 1, 1957 INVENTOR JOHN H/L L MA N HIS ATTORNEY companying specification and drawings.

United States Patent AIR OPERATED WATER VALVE EOR ROCK DRILLS John Hillman, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, assiguor to lngersoll-Rand Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 1, 1957, Serial No. 669,245

6 Claims. (Cl. 121-10) This invention relates to rock drills andparticularly to the problem of controlling the flow of cleansing water to-the drill.

It is accordingly then one object of this invention to provide a novel and compact means of controlling the flow of cleansing water to the drill.

Another object is to provide an automatic means remotely mounted from the drill to control the flow of cleansing water to the drill.

- Still another object is to provide means whereby the flow of cleansing water will commence when the drill is turned on and cease when hte drill is turned off.

Further objects will become apparent from the ac- Fig. l is a side longitudinal elevational view of a rock drill with the invention mounted on the rear of the drill, and

Fig. 2 is a side longitudinal elevational view of the invention partly in section.

Referring to the drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 with a pneumatic percussive rock drill 10 of the drifter type. Drills of this type are commonly mounted on traveling carriages and for this reason the valve for controlling the supply of air for the drill is not convenient to the operator.- Therefore,'it is desirable to locate'the air valve 12 which controls the air supply to the drill at a point remote from the drill and convenient to the operatorf Air under pressure is supplied to the drill 10 bypipe 14 onvwhich is located the air valve 12. When the operator opens the valve 12, air under pressure is admitted to the drill 10 actuating a drill piston (not shown) arranged to strike the rear end of a drilling rod 16 provided with a cutting tool (not shown) at the opposite end.

With the present invention at the same time air is admitted to the rock drill 10 it is also admitted to an air operated piston 18 (see Fig. 2) embodied in the rear end of the drill 10. The piston 18 is actuated in such a manner that it opens a water valve 20' (see Fig. 2) communicating the flow of cleansing water from a pipe 22 to the water tube 24 of the drill 10. The water flows through tube 24 to the cutting tool (not shown) wetting and removing the drilled earth.

Whenthe operator closes the air valve 12 he shuts off the air supply to the drill 10 thereby halting the drill 10. At the same time the air supply is shut off, spring means 26 and 28 urge the water valve 20 to its closed position stopping the flow of cleansing water to the water tube 24 and therefore to the drill 10.

Referring to Fig. 2 and to the details of the invention, a casing 30 defines two cylindrical longitudinal bores 32 and 34 located adjacent to and at an angle with respect to each other.

The bore 32 is divided into two parts by a cylindrical plug 36. One end portion of the bore 32 serves as an air chamber 38 from which air flows through a port 40 to the drill 10 and the other portion serves as a piston chamber 42 for the piston 18.

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The plug 36 fits tightly against the walls of the bore 32 and a shoulder 44 thereon rests upon an introverted flange 46 extending from the inner wall of the casing 30 into the bore 32. The plug 36 has a neck 48 extending through the piston chamber 42 and the end portion of said neck 48 is threaded for receiving a stop nut 50. Therefore, the plug 36 is secured in the casing 30 by introverted flange 46, plug shoulder 44 and stop nut 50.

A cylindrical cap 52 closes the piston chamber 42, said cap 52 being secured to the casing 30 in the following manner. The neck of the plug 36 extends through a hole 54 in the cap and the stop nut is screwed against the caps outer surface.

The neck 48 acts as a guide for the pistons 18 reciprocating movements by slidably fitting through a bore 56 in the center of the piston 18. The piston 18 is cylindrical in shape having a head 58 fitting tightly against the wall-s of the cap 52 and a neck 60 extending from the head 58.

A passageway 68 extends through the plug 36 from the air chamber 38 to a clearance 62 communicating the air under pressure to said clearance 62. Abutment 64 on the inner surface of the cap 52 and the washer 66 limit the minimum clearance 62 between the front of the piston 18 and the inner surface of the cap 52.

The rearward motion of the piston 18 is limited by shoulder 44. The forward motion of the piston 18 is limited by the abutment 64 and the washer 66.

Spring 26 is biased by the flange 46 and the rear end of the piston head 58. Air under pressure entering the clearance 62 urges the piston 18 to its rearward position compressing the spring 26. When the air valve 12 shown in Fig. 1 is closed, air from the clearance 62 vents back through the passageway 68 to the air chamber 38 through port 40 to atmosphere relieving the compressive force on the spring 26 whereupon the spring 26 urges the piston 18 to its forward position. 0 rings 69, 70 and 72 prevent the leakage of air from the clearance 62.

The bore 34 in addition to being adjacent and at an angle to the bore 32 has its front portion opened to the piston chamber 42. A water valve 20 located in the bore 34 has its head 74 in the upper portion of said bore 34 and a stem 76 extending from the head 74 through the bore 34 on into the piston chamber 42 making contact with the rear end of the piston head 58.

Therefore, when the piston 18 moves in a rearwardly direction the water valve stem 76 is also moved in a rearwardly direction along the axis of the bore 34-, thereby forcing the water valve head 74 from its seat 78. When the head 74 is off its seat 78 cleansing water from pipe 22 which is connected by water pipe spud 80 to the bore 34 at the upper portion, flows into the passageway 82 communicating the water to the port 84 which in turn communicates the water to the water tube 24 shown in Fig. 1.

The bushing 86 is a liner and guide for the water valve stem 76 and facilitates the movement of the stem 76 when the piston 18 is actuated. The bushing 86 fits tightly against the walls of the bore 34 and is held in place by the bushing shoulder 88 and the bore shoulder 90. A further function of the bushing 86 is that it serves as a seat 78, before mentioned, for the water valve head 74. Still another function is that its upper portion serves as a passageway 82 before mentioned, which communicates the flow of cleansing water to the port 84.

A spring 28 located in the upper portion of the bore 34 is biased by the valve head 74 and the water pipe spud 80. When the water valve 20 is in its open position it compresses the spring 28. When the piston 18 is urged to its forward position, the compressive force on 3 spring 28 is relieved whereupon the spring 28 urges the water valve 20 back on its seat 78.

rings 92 and 94 prevent the leakage of water into the piston chamber 42.

Operation cycle Reviewing briefly the operation of the unit. When the air valve 12 on the pipe 14 is opened air under pressure enters the air chamber 38 and flows through a port 40 to the drill actuating said drill 10. At the same time air enters the air chamber 38 passageway 68 communicates the air to a clearance 62 in the front portion of the piston chamber 42 forcing the piston to its rearward position whereupon because of the contact between the water valve 20 and the piston 18 said water valve 20 is lifted from its seat '78 causing the flow of cleansing water from the pipe 22 to the drill 10 through the passageway 82 and the port 84.

During the time the piston 18 is in its rearward position springs 26 and 28 are compressed. When the air valve 12 is closed the air to the drill 10 ceases and air from the front portion of the piston 18 vents back through the passageway 68 into the air chamber 38 or through port 40 to atmosphere. This relieves the compressive force on the spring 26 whereupon said spring 26 will urge the piston to its forward position thereby removing the compressive force on the water valve and the spring 28 at which time the spring 28 will urge the water valve 24 back on its seat 78 thereby halting the flow of cleansing water to the drill 10.

While I have shown and described a specific form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An air operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a piston chamber and a valve chamber located adjacent to and at an angle with respect to the piston chamber, means for the passage of air under pressure to the drill and to the piston chamber, a valve in said valve chamber for controlling the supply of cleansing water to the drill, a piston in the pistpn chamber actuated by air supplied to the drill to urge said valve to its open position, and means for constantly urging said valve toward the closed position.

2. An air operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore and a valve chamber located adjacent to and at an angle with respect to the bore, a plug dividing said bore into an air chamber and a piston chamber, said plug having a neck extending through the piston chamber, a passageway through the plug and neck for supplying air from the air chamber to one end of the piston chamber, a port in the air chamber for the passage of air under pressure to the drill, a piston in the piston chamber slidably mounted on the neck, a valve in the valve chamber for controlling the supply of cleansing water to thedrill, said valve being urged to its open position by said piston when air under pressure is admitted to the piston chamber, and means for constantly urging said valve toward the closed position.

3. An air operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore and a valve chamber located in side to side relationship with the bore and having an end open to said bore, a partition in the bore dividing said bore into an air chamber and a piston chamber, a piston in the piston chamber, a. passageway through the partition for supplying air from the air chamber to one end of the piston chamber for actuating said piston, a valve in the valve chamber, said valve having a head located at one end of the valve chamber and a stem extending into the piston chamber positioned to be engaged by a surface of the piston when the piston is actuated to move the valve into its open position, and spring means constantly urging the valve toward its closed position.

4. An air operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a piston chamber and a valve chamber with one end open to the piston chamber, means for the passage of air under pressure to the drill and to the piston chamber, a reciprocating piston in the piston chamber, a valve in the valve chamber with one end in contact with a surface of the piston to cause said valve to be urged to its open position when said piston is actuated by the air under pressure, and spring means in the valve chamber constantly urging the valve towards its closed position.

5. An air operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore and a valve chamber with one end open to the bore, a partition dividing said bore into an air chamber and a piston chamber, said partition having a tubular extension extending through the piston chamber and a passageway through said partition and tubular extension for the passage of air under pressure to the piston chamber, a piston in the piston chamber encircling the tubular extension and reciprocating thereon, a valve in the valve chamber with one end in contact with a surface of the piston to cause said valve to be urged to its open position when said piston is actuated by the air under pressure, and spring means constantly urging the valve towards its closed position.

6. An air, operated water valve for a pneumatic rock drill, comprising a casing having a piston chamber and a valve chamber with one end open to the piston chamher and being located adjacent to and at an angle with respect to the piston chamber, means for the passage of air under pressure to the drill and to the piston chamber, a reciprocating piston in the piston chamber, a valve in the valve chamber with one end in contact with a surface of the piston to cause said valve to be urged to its open position when said piston is actuated by the air under pressure, and spring means in the valve chamber constantly urging the valve towards its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,205 Fuehrer Dec. 26, 1933 2,205,736 Schorle June 25, 1940 2,721,540 Fuehrer Nov. 25, 1955 

